Best of the best

Good medical care is about more than mending broken bones – it also fixes nations. These are the countries and people building healthier states.
The next four years

Whoever ends up sat in the Oval Office come January next year will have a huge job on his hands but also a massive opportunity. Here is Monocle’s advice.
A Little Push

The Behavioural Insights Team – otherwise known as the Nudge Unit – is improving public services in the UK via clever tweaks of policy and subtle changes to the delivery of information. Monocle investigates the art of gentle persuasion.
Respect the elders

The Avengers be damned. The combined diplomatic super powers of 10 global leaders known as The Elders, formed by Nelson Mandela and led by chairman Desmond Tutu, are taking on the world’s most complex problems.
Liquid Gold

‘Genki’ drinks – nutrition and energy beverages – have flooded the Japanese market yet manufacturers are now targeting female consumers and soaking up foreign customers. Is saturation imminent?
The real winners

As candidates ramp up the spending on their US presidential election campaigns, we look at some of the businesses that do very nicely when the party purse-strings are open.
What’s up doc

Real-life medical shows aren’t just for light entertainment. In Spain people turn on the TV for health advice in times of austerity and in Egypt women tune in to learn about sex. Monocle meets the TV doctors with all the answers.
Drug Wars

The practices of the health and pharmaceutical industries have no shortage of critics but there's an equally tricky battle to change consumers' perceptions once a product get the green light. Monocle meets some of the creatives on the feel-good frontline.
Written diagnosis

‘The Lancet’ has been in existence for 189 years and is considered an institution in the publishing industry. Monocle meets the staff of the British medical weekly that is always authoritative and occasionally controversial.
Grey matters

Getting old is inevitable but providing for people when they do is too often skirted. Monocle has tracked down those making a difference and showing up the authorities in the process.
Home visit

The origami roof of the new Center for Cancer and Health suggests that this is no ordinary hospital. Nord Architects Copenhagen has achieved a design leap by creating a leafy courtyard and comfortable interiors.

Design/Architecture / Global

Design/Architecture

Briefing

The For Stockists design and craft fair in Tokyo, a rehab centre in the Netherlands and a newly revamped medical faculty in Peru.

Photography: Mika Ishikawa,; José Campos,; Brett Boardman,; René de Wit

The fair that’s fun

Japan [DESIGN SHOW]

The term “trade show” doesn’t do justice to the For Stockists design and craft fair held in Tokyo each September. Only open to buyers and press, it must be the most laidback event in the design calendar. A convivial gathering brought together by organiser Shinichiro Nakahara, For Stockists represents a fresh selection of everything from pottery and prints to clothes and accessories. Nearly 100 exhibitors joined in this year at Jiyu Gakuen, a former girls’ school designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Five products

Morikage Shirt The Kyoto shirt-maker now does bags made from cotton shirt fabric.
mrkgs.com
Hasami porcelain Designer Taku Shinomoto, owner of Tortoise in LA, collaborated with a Japanese kiln to make tableware.
tortoisegeneralstore.com
Buchi A new company based in Nagano that makes wooden toys for children.
buchi.co.jp
Horse Blanket Research Soft wool and cotton blankets for humans, made in Japan.
sett.co.jp
Rie Ho The Osakan ceramicist has designed a new range of bird tiles.
birds-words.com

For Stockists design and craft fair - Tokyo

Morikage Shirt - The Kyoto shirt-maker now does bags made from cotton shirt fabric.

Hasami porcelain - Designer Taku Shinomoto, owner of Tortoise in LA, collaborated with a Japanese kiln to make tableware.

Buchi - A new company based in Nagano that makes wooden toys for children.

Horse Blanket Research - Soft wool and cotton blankets for humans, made in Japan.

Rie Ho - The Osakan ceramicist has designed a new range of bird tiles.

Get well soon

Holland [rehab centre]

Hidden among the trees in the forest of Arnhem sits Groot Klimmendaal, a rehabilitation centre for patients recovering from a disease, accident or birth impairment. Functioning as a public environment with a focus on wellbeing, its three-storey anodised-aluminium façade appears as an extension of the scenic landscape. Dutch architect Koen van Velsen designed it and says, “Vibrant colours and daylight play an important role in bringing the outside indoors.” The centre was shortlisted for the Mies van der Rohe prize.
koenvanvelsen.com; grootklimmendaal.nl

Learning curve

Portugal [university]

Established in 1911, the medicine faculty is the second oldest at the University of Porto. Local architecture firm OFF4 was recently called on to redesign an area of more than 27,000 sq m. The modern construction includes a bridge to the adjacent Hospital de São João and an Ecothermic Plus aluminium system that regulates temperatures so the building is more energy efficient.
sigarra.up.pt; off4.pt

New home

Australia [autism centre]

A centre for autistic children in Sydney has swapped its old art deco home for a new space in a suburb between Bondi and the city. The Edgecliff Medical Centre for Autistic Children is a light and welcoming affair designed by Enter Architecture and includes three treatment rooms, a reception area and play spaces.
enterprojects.net

Generous proportions

Italy [kitchenware]

Residents of the mountainous Valtellina region of northern Italy have relied for centuries on locally quarried soapstone to make pots or cooking and storing food. Known as lavècc, the old-fashioned utensils have been given an updated look by luxury kitchen-maker Strato. The design brand has unveiled a line of round and rectangular shapes in three sizes that are safe to use on gas and electric hobs and double as serving dishes.
stratocucine.com

Q&A

Assaf Wand

Owner, Sabi

California

Assaf Wand founded Palo Alto-based design brand Sabi in 2009, specialising in health and wellness products for the over-fifties.

What do you do?
We are building stylish branded goods for baby boomers. People over the age of 50 in the US have 90-plus per cent of the net worth and 60-plus per cent of the net income [in the country] but only 5 per cent of marketing budgets caters to them. For these people we are trying to turn moments of chore into moments of joy.

What does the name mean?
Sabi is a Japanese notion of finding the beauty in ageing.

Why focus on pill-dispensers?
Taking pills and vitamins has a very negative connotation and current dispensers look disgusting and ugly. We thought we could redesign them.

What was the design process?
There is a standard process: I looked at the rankings of the world's top designers, set up calls and narrowed it down. I went for [San Fransisco-based] fuseproject because it knows how to work with young brands.

What are you working on now?
A second line focused on the idea that when people reach the age of 65 their wish is to live at home for as long as they can. We are doing a lot of stuff for around the house, from grips to aids for reaching and lifting.
sabi.com

Best of the best

The next four years

A Little Push

Respect the elders

Liquid Gold

The real winners

What’s up doc

Drug Wars

Written diagnosis

Grey matters

Home visit

Europe Briefing

Americas briefing

Asia briefing

Africa/Middle East briefing

Oceania briefing

Diplomacy Briefing

Blue-sky thinking

Defence briefing

Business briefing

Culture briefing

Media briefing

Art market briefing

Design/Architecture briefing

Fashion briefing

Dato’ Sri Idris Jala

Streets ahead

Aircraft procedure

Sand castle

Inventory No. 58

Ultimate body fix

Revitalising retreats

Material gains

Lucca

Joël Robuchon

Expo 58: Don’t stop moving

Observation

Perfect old age community

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